Category: Casseroles


Jan
2023

Easy Tamale Pie

categories: Beef, Casseroles, Main Dishes, Mexican / Southwestern
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Easy Tamale Pie is a delicious meal featuring ground beef, tomatoes, onions, corn and Mexican spices, topped with a cornbread-style crust.
Easy Tamale Pie is a delicious meal featuring ground beef, tomatoes, onions, corn and Mexican spices, topped with a cornbread-style crust.

Years ago I found a recipe for tamale pie in one of my old cookbooks. I made a couple slight changes to the original recipe, and this recipe for easy tamale pie was “born”. I recently cooked it again and took photos so I could share it here on my blog.

Tamale pie is very simple to prepare, and this recipe makes 8 servings. Since there’s only two of us at home now, the yummy leftovers can be enjoyed for several days!

My husband and I enjoy reheating a slice of tamale pie for a quick lunch, since we both work from home! Let me show you how to make this delicious meal. 

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Prepare The Filling for The Easy Tamale Pie

Heat oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add ground beef and chopped yellow onion to the hot oil, and cook until the meat is fully cooked and browned, and the onions are tender.

Stir the meat and onions often as they cook. When the meat is cooked through, tilt the skillet and use a spoon to remove any accumulated grease from the skillet. Discard the grease. 

Ground beef and chopped onions are cooked in oil in a large skillet.Accumulated grease is removed and discarded from the ground beef in the skillet.

Add a can of corn (drained) and a can of diced tomatoes (including juice) to the skillet. Sprinkle with salt, chili powder, and ground cumin, and stir to combine them with the ground beef.

NOTE: If you want (optional) to add diced green chilis, sliced olives, or jalapeños to the dish to make it spicier, this is the time to add these ingredients!

Cook this mixture (uncovered) on medium-low heat for 15 minutes, then remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.

Corn, diced tomatoes and Mexican spices are added to the cooked meat in skillet.The ground beef filling for the easy tamale pie cooks for 15 minutes in skillet.

Prepare The Batter For The Cornbread-Style Topping

While the ground beef filling is cooking, make the batter to top the easy tamale pie. Whisk cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, milk, and egg in a large bowl until a lump-free batter is formed.

A batter is made to pour on the tamale pie to form a top crust.

Assemble The Tamale Pie

Lightly grease a 9″ pie pan with non-stick baking spray on the bottom and sides. TIP: **If you do not have access to a 9″ pie pan, you can make this in a greased 9 x 9 baking dish.**

Add the ground beef filling to the pie pan, spreading it out with a spoon to cover the pan. Slowly pour the cornmeal batter over the top of this mixture until the meat filling is covered

NOTE: You MAY have a few Tablespoons of batter left, depending on the dish you use. You do not have to use it all. However, make sure the pie dish is full and the batter covers the filling!

Time To Bake!

Bake the easy tamale pie at 425°F. for 25-30 minutes. It is done when a toothpick inserted into the top of the tamale pie comes out clean. The tamale pie should also be nicely browned on top.

NOTE: Sometimes people add grated cheese to the top of the tamale pie halfway through the baking time. We don’t add it, but I’m letting you know in case you’re interested.

Filling for the easy tamale pie is spread into a deep dish pie pan.Cornbread-style batter is poured on top of the beef tamale pie filling before baking.The easy tamale pie is nicely browned as it is removed from the oven after baking.

Time To Serve The Easy Tamale Pie

When the tamale pie is finished baking, remove it from the oven and transfer it to a wire rack. Let it cool for 5-6 minutes before slicing it for serving.

Once the tamale pie has cooled slightly, slice it into 8 pie-shaped wedges. Transfer the slices to plates, and serve immediately. This time, I served it with lemon garlic cauliflower rice on the side.

NOTE: The first time I made this, I wasn’t sure it would be “sliceable”  Yes… it will be, once cooled slightly! Use a spatula to transfer the slices to each plate. If desired, garnish each slice with a dollop of sour cream. 

Slices of the tamale pie have been cut and removed, revealing the beef filling inside.A slice of easy tamale pie on a white plate, with cauliflower rice on the side.

I really hope you enjoy easy tamale pie, and have the opportunity to make it for those you love. Thanks so much for stopping by, and I invite you to come back soon for more family-friendly recipes. Take care, may God bless you, and have a GREAT day!

Looking For More TexMex-Inspired Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have quite a few TexMex-inspired meals for you to choose from, including:

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Recipe adapted from: Jean O’Brien in the book “Church Suppers”, page 256, published in 2005 by Black Dog and Leventhal Publishers

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

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Easy Tamale Pie
Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
50 mins
 

Easy Tamale Pie is a delicious meal featuring ground beef, tomatoes, onions, corn and Mexican spices, topped with a cornbread-style crust.

Category: Main Dish
Cuisine: Southwestern
Keyword: easy tamale pie
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 292 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
For Filling:
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • 1 pound ground beef
  • ½ cup chopped yellow onion
  • 15.2 ounce can whole kernel corn drained
  • 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes do NOT drain
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon salt
For Top Crust:
  • ½ cup yellow cornmeal
  • ½ cup all purpose flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F.  Lightly grease a 9" deep dish pie pan or a 9" x 9" baking dish

  2. Heat oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add ground beef and onions: cook until meat is browned and fully cooked, stirring often Remove/discard accumulated grease.

  3. Add corn, tomatoes, salt, chili powder, and ground cumin to meat, stirring to combine. **If adding optional ingredients (olives, green chilis, jalapeños), do it now.** Cook (uncovered) on medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; set skillet aside.

  4. In a large bowl, whisk cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, milk, and egg together until smooth and lump-free.

  5. Spoon beef mixture to greased pie pan, spreading evenly. Slowly pour cornmeal batter over the top until meat filling is covered NOTE: You MAY have a few Tablespoons of extra batter left, depending on dish you use. You do not have to use it all. Just make sure pie dish is full and batter covers the filling!

  6. Bake at 425°F. for 25-30 minutes. It's done when a toothpick inserted into the top/middle comes out clean, and top crust is nicely browned. **NOTE: If desired (OPTIONAL), add grated cheese on top of the pie halfway through baking time.

  7. When tamale pie is finished baking, remove it from oven; transfer to a wire rack. Let cool 5-6 minutes before slicing. Once slightly cooled, cut pie into 8 wedges. Transfer slices to individual plates, and serve. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Easy Tamale Pie
Amount Per Serving (1 slice (1/8 of total))
Calories 292 Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 5g
Cholesterol 63mg21%
Sodium 428mg19%
Potassium 548mg16%
Carbohydrates 31g10%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 17g34%
Vitamin A 368IU7%
Vitamin C 8mg10%
Calcium 94mg9%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Easy Tamale Pie is a delicious meal featuring ground beef, tomatoes, onions, corn and Mexican spices, topped with a cornbread-style crust.


Sep
2020

Chicken Pasta Casserole

categories: Casseroles, Chicken, Main Dishes
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You’ll enjoy this Chicken Pasta Casserole, with rotini pasta, zucchini, onions, red bell peppers, Parmesan and mozzarella, in a creamy sauce!
You'll enjoy this Chicken Pasta Casserole, with rotini pasta, zucchini, onions, red bell peppers, Parmesan and mozzarella, in a creamy sauce!

I don’t know about you, but we enjoy a tasty casserole every now and then. Casseroles seem to have a little bit of everything in them, feed a crowd, and the leftovers are great the next day! THAT’S a win-win, in my book. This chicken pasta casserole (which is also easy to make) is no exception to that theory. Years ago I made a few changes to the original recipe, and have been happy with the results.

Filled with chicken breast, veggies, curly rotini pasta, spices and two kinds of cheese, it practically has all the food groups represented (except for fruit or dessert, wink wink!). I found my handwritten recipe on an index card in a very old recipe box.

I made this casserole several times many years ago (at least 15), and had written “GREAT” on the recipe, so I decided to cook it again, photograph the process, and share it here on my blog. Here’s how to make this delicious casserole:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Prepare The Pasta

Cook rotini pasta (or rotelle) according to the package directions in boiling, salted water. Once the pasta is fully cooked, drain the pasta, and then set it aside. TIP: Make the sauce for the casserole while the pasta is cooking, to save time! 

Adding pasta to boiling water to cook.

Make The Sauce For The Chicken Pasta Casserole

To make the sauce, first melt butter in a large skillet on medium heat. Add chopped onions, red bell peppers, and sliced zucchini halves to the skillet. Sauté the veggies just until they become crisp/tender (approx. 3-4 minutes). Stir in flour until it’s combined with the veggies.

Bell peppers, zucchini, and onion are cooked in butter.Flour is stirred into the veggies to help thicken sauce later.

Cook The Sauce Until Thickened

Now add milk, chicken broth, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and basil to the skillet. Stir to combine all ingredients. Continue cooking, stirring often, on medium heat until the mixture has thickened and is bubbly. Once thickened, add 2 Tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese, and stir again, to combine.

Milk, chicken broth, tomato paste and spices are added to make the sauce.The sauce for the chicken pasta casserole has thickened.

Stir in the cooked pasta and the chicken. Make sure to get everything covered with the sauce. Now you’re ready to put it all in a greased casserole dish, and bake!

Cooked pasta and chicken are added to the creamy sauce.Ingredients are stirred until fully incorporated.

Bake The Chicken Pasta Casserole

Spread the casserole mixture into a greased 3 quart casserole dish evenly. Sprinkle the top of the pasta with the remaining 2 Tablespoons of Parmesan cheese, followed by the grated mozzarella cheese.

Cover the pan with aluminum foil, and bake, in a preheated 400°F. oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the foil, and continue baking for 15 additional minutes. It’s done when the cheese has melted and the casserole is fully heated through.

Parmesan and mozzarella added to top of the chicken pasta casserole, before baking.Cheese has melted and casserole is bubbly when done.

That’s it! Once it comes out of the oven, the chicken pasta casserole is ready to serve, and eat! You can add additional Parmesan cheese to the top as a garnish (if desired), but it really isn’t necessary. This dish is really quite tasty, fresh from the old oven!

A bowl of chicken pasta casserole, ready to enjoy!

I truly hope you enjoy this delicious casserole. You can store leftovers covered in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days. Reheat in a microwave for a quick lunch the next day!

Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you come back soon for more family-friendly recipes! Have a wonderful day.

Looking For More CASSEROLE Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have quite a few delicious casserole recipes, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

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Author's signature

Original recipe source: unknown

5 from 2 votes
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Chicken Pasta Casserole
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
40 mins
 

You'll enjoy this Chicken Pasta Casserole, with rotini pasta, zucchini, onions, red bell peppers, Parmesan and mozzarella, in a creamy sauce!

Category: Entree - Casserole
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chicken pasta casserole
Servings: 5
Calories Per Serving: 428 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 8 ounces rotini pasta , cooked and drained
  • 1 cup yellow onion , chopped
  • 1 large zucchini , sliced, then slices cut in half
  • ½ cup red bell pepper , seeded and chopped
  • 3 Tablespoons butter
  • ¼ cup all purpose flour
  • 1½ cups chicken broth
  • ½ cup lowfat milk
  • 1 Tablespoon tomato paste *See note
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon basil
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 4 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese , divided
  • 2 cups cooked chicken breasts ,cut in bite-sized pieces
  • ⅓ cup grated mozzarella cheese
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Cook pasta according to package directions. Once done, drain pasta; set aside. TIP: Make the sauce for the casserole while pasta cooks, to save time! 

  2. Melt butter in large skillet. Add onions, red peppers, and zucchini. Sauté veggies until crisp/tender (approx. 3-4 minutes). Stir in flour.

  3. Add milk, chicken broth, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and basil to skillet. Stir to combine. Continue cooking on medium heat, stirring often, until mixture thickens and is bubbly. Add half (2 Tbsp.) of grated Parmesan cheese, and stir again. Stir in cooked pasta and chicken until ingredients are coated with sauce.

  4. Grease a 3 qt. baking dish with non-stick baking spray. Spread casserole evenly in dish. Sprinkle pasta with remaining 2 Tbsp. of Parmesan cheese, followed by grated mozzarella. Cover dish with aluminum foil, and bake in a preheated 400°F. oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the foil, and continue baking for 15 additional minutes. When done, serve, and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

NOTE: You can substitute spaghetti sauce or tomato sauce if you do not have access to tomato paste, but increase amount needed to 1.5 Tablespoons.

Nutrition Facts
Chicken Pasta Casserole
Amount Per Serving (1 1/5 of total))
Calories 428 Calories from Fat 117
% Daily Value*
Fat 13g20%
Saturated Fat 7g44%
Cholesterol 74mg25%
Sodium 864mg38%
Potassium 623mg18%
Carbohydrates 47g16%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 30g60%
Vitamin A 993IU20%
Vitamin C 39mg47%
Calcium 171mg17%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!You'll enjoy this Chicken Pasta Casserole, with rotini pasta, zucchini, onions, red bell peppers, Parmesan and mozzarella, in a creamy sauce!


Mar
2020

Bacon Broccoli Pasta Casserole

categories: Casseroles, Main Dishes, Pasta, Pork
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Enjoy bacon broccoli pasta casserole, a cheesy, family-friendly baked dish with bacon, Parmesan, mozzarella, mushrooms, carrots, onions and broccoli.
Enjoy bacon broccoli pasta casserole, a cheesy, family-friendly baked dish with bacon, Parmesan, mozzarella, mushrooms, carrots, onions and broccoli.

Do you enjoy casseroles? We do, and I especially enjoy having leftovers, which are fantastic to have around for lunches or another dinner. Today I want to share with you a recipe I came up with “on the fly”. I simply used food items I found in my pantry and refrigerator, and experimented with, until I ended up with a wonderful tasting dish!

The casserole is fully prepped on the stove top in a large saucepan (or Dutch Oven), and then it is finished by baking for 15 minutes. It has great flavor, and is fairly simple to prepare. Here’s how:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Cook the Bacon, Carrot And Onions

The first thing you will need to do is to cook the bacon, chopped onions and grated carrots. Stack the bacon slices on top of each other, and then cut into 1″ wide pieces. This will allow the bacon to cook faster.

Place the sliced bacon in a large saucepan (or Dutch Oven), and cook it on medium-high heat, stirring often to separate bacon pieces.  Once the bacon has cooked for a 2-3 minutes, add the butter, chopped onions and grated carrots to the pan. Stir to combine, and continue to cook until bacon is cooked through (approx. 5 minutes).

Bacon pieces, chopped onions, are grated carrots are prepped then cooked together.

Add Liquids, Mushrooms And Pasta

Pour a can of cream of mushroom soup, a can of mushroom slices (drained), and water into the saucepan with the bacon, etc. Season with salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Bring this to a boil on medium heat.

Once the liquid is boiling in the pan, add four cups of dry bowtie pasta, and stir to combine. Once the pasta has been added, turn down the heat to LOW, and cover the pan. Cook for approximately 15 minutes, or until pasta is fully cooked. Stir occasionally.

Mushrooms, cream of mushroom soup, water and seasoning cook in large saucepan.Bow tie pasta noodles are added, to cook in the liquid in saucepan.

Add Broccoli And Cheeses

After the pasta is fully cooked, add cooked broccoli, mozzarella and part of the Parmesan cheese (1/4 cup) to the pan. Stir and cook for 4-5 more minutes, so the cheeses will melt into the pasta.

Cooked broccoli, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses are added to the saucepan.

Time To Bake The Bacon Broccoli Pasta Casserole!

Spray a casserole dish with non-stick baking spray. Pour the bacon pasta casserole into the dish, and spread to cover. Sprinkle the top with the remaining grated Parmesan cheese, and then cover the pan with aluminum foil.

Bake the bacon broccoli pasta casserole in a preheated 350°F oven for 15 minutes. When done, remove the casserole from the oven, and serve.

Bacon broccoli pasta casserole is placed in baking dish and topped with Parmesan to bake.Here is the hot casserole after being removed from the oven.

Portion out the bacon broccoli pasta casserole into individual serving bowls or onto plates, and then dig in! There are a lot of flavors to enjoy in this tasty dish!

A bowl of the bacon broccoli pasta casserole, ready to eat.A close-up look at the pasta casserole, before it is eaten.

I really hope you enjoy this bacon broccoli pasta casserole. Yes, there are a few prep steps involved, but the end result is a lovely pasta casserole you (and those you love) can enjoy! Have a wonderful day.

Looking for More CASSEROLE RECIPES?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have several casserole dishes you might enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

0 from 0 votes
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Bacon Broccoli Pasta Casserole
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
45 mins
 

Enjoy bacon broccoli pasta casserole, a cheesy, family-friendly baked dish with bacon, Parmesan, mozzarella, mushrooms, carrots, onions and broccoli.

Category: Casserole, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bacon broccoli pasta casserole
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 386 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 6 slices bacon
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • ⅓ cup brown onion chopped
  • 3 medium carrots grated
  • 10½ ounces cream of mushroom soup (canned)
  • 4 ounces canned mushrooms (sliced) , drained
  • 2½ cups water
  • ½ teaspoon salt and pepper ( ½ tsp. each)
  • 4 cups bow-tie pasta (12 ounce box)
  • 1 cup broccoli , pre-cooked and cut into small florets
  • ⅓ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese divided (reserve ½ C. for topping)
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Stack bacon slices on top of each other, and cut into 1" wide pieces. Place bacon in a large saucepan (or Dutch Oven); cook for 2-3 minutes on medium-high heat, stirring often to separate pieces.  Add butter, chopped onions and grated carrots to pan. Stir to combine, and continue to cook until bacon is cooked through (approx. 5 minutes).

  2. Add cream of mushroom soup, mushroom slices (drained), and water into the saucepan with bacon, etc. Season with salt and pepper; stir to combine. Bring to a boil on medium heat. Once boiling, dry pasta; stir to combine. Turn down heat to LOW, and cover pan. Cook (covered) for approx. 15 minutes, or until pasta is fully cooked. Stir occasionally. While this is cooking, preheat oven to 350°F.

  3. Add cooked broccoli, mozzarella and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese to the pasta. Cook 3-4 minutes on low, stirring often, until cheese has melted.

  4. Spray an oven-proof casserole dish with non-stick baking spray. Pour pasta casserole into dish. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese, and cover dish with aluminum foil.

  5. Bake the bacon broccoli pasta casserole at 350°F for 15 minutes. When done, remove casserole from oven, remove foil, and serve.

Nutrition Facts
Bacon Broccoli Pasta Casserole
Amount Per Serving (1 (1/6 of total))
Calories 386 Calories from Fat 162
% Daily Value*
Fat 18g28%
Saturated Fat 8g50%
Cholesterol 38mg13%
Sodium 1047mg46%
Potassium 394mg11%
Carbohydrates 39g13%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 18g36%
Vitamin A 5398IU108%
Vitamin C 16mg19%
Calcium 202mg20%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Enjoy bacon broccoli pasta casserole, a cheesy, family-friendly baked dish with bacon, Parmesan, mozzarella, mushrooms, carrots, onions and broccoli.


Dec
2019

Turkey Fiesta Casserole

categories: Casseroles, Main Dishes, Turkey
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Turkey Fiesta Casserole is a great way to use up cooked turkey (or chicken). This easy Mexican-style dish has turkey, corn chips, refried beans, cheese & salsa!
Turkey Fiesta Casserole is a great way to use up cooked turkey. This easy Mexican-style dish has turkey, corn chips, refried beans, cheese & salsa!

Every now and then I grab a few of my old cookbooks or cooking magazines and look back through them for “new” recipes. Recently I went through one of my OLD Taste of Home magazines from 2005 (yes, I saved them), and found this easy to prepare Mexican casserole recipe.

I had some shredded turkey left over from Thanksgiving, and wanted to try a new way to use it besides SOUP (which I already made). This recipe was so easy to make, and while it baked I made the rest of our dinner. Chicken would be a perfect substitute, by the way, if you don’t have any cooked turkey on hand.

The turkey fiesta casserole tastes delicious, especially if you enjoy Mexican-style seasoned dishes! YUM! Layers of crushed corn chips, refried beans, salsa, cheese, and shredded turkey (or can substitute chicken). The results are delicious! Here’s how to make it:

Scroll Down for A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Ingredients For Turkey Fiesta Casserole Are Layered In Baking Dish

The first ingredient is crushed corn chips or tortilla chips. Place the crushed corn chips in the bottom of a greased (or sprayed) baking dish.

Corn tortilla chips are crushed and placed in baking dish.

In a saucepan, stir and cook the refried beans until smooth and heated through. If they are really thick, simply add about a Tablespoon of water. Once heated through, remove the pan from the heat.

Immediately add 1 cup of grated jack cheese and the salsa. NOTE: Remember to only use 1 cup of cheese and reserve the rest for later!) Stir together, and then spoon and spread this bean mixture over the entire surface of the tortilla chips in the baking dish. Spread carefully, to cover.

Refried beans are heated then mixed with salsa and jack cheese & added to top of corn chips.The refried bean mixture is placed on top of the corn chips in dish.

Time For A Layer of Seasoned Turkey!

Place the shredded turkey in a bowl, and add taco seasoning (or Mexican spice mix). Stir to incorporate the spices into the meat. Spread this mixture over the refried bean layer in the dish.

Cooked, shredded turkey is seasoned with taco seasoning.Seasoned shredded turkey is placed on top of refried bean mixture in casserole dish.

Final Step Before Baking

The last layer is the Monterey jack cheese and green onions. Sprinkle grated jack cheese over the turkey layer, and then sprinkle with sliced green onions. Bake the turkey fiesta casserole uncovered, on the middle shelf in a preheated 400° F oven. The casserole needs to bake for 25 minutes OR until the cheese on top is completely melted.

Turkey Fiesta Casserole is topped with jack cheese and green onions and then baked.

Once the casserole is finished baking, remove it from the oven. Immediately sprinkle chopped tomatoes over the top. Let the HOT casserole sit for just a couple minutes before cutting into it, for serving.

Once done baking, the turkey fiesta casserole is topped with chopped tomatoes before serving.

Serve The Turkey Fiesta Casserole!

When ready to cut and serve this dish, place a portion onto each serving plate, and garnish with a dollop of sour cream and/or chopped cilantro, if desired. Serve hot, and enjoy this tasty casserole. See- it wasn’t too hard to make after all, right?  We enjoyed it served it with a spinach salad, and Pistachio Pineapple Fluff Salad (leftover from Thanksgiving!).

A dollop of sour cream garnishes this serving of turkey fiesta casserole.

I really hope you will consider trying this easy to prepare turkey fiesta casserole, and hope you like it. We sure did, and enjoyed the leftovers, too! All in all, we got 5 servings from this recipe. The leftovers are good reheated in the microwave, also! Have a good day, friends.

Looking For More CASSEROLE Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. A few favorites you might enjoy include:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Original recipe source: Taste of Home Magazine, Dec/Jan 2005, page 48, published by Reiman Media Group Inc.

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

0 from 0 votes
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Turkey Fiesta Casserole
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
35 mins
 

Turkey Fiesta Casserole is a great way to use up cooked turkey (or chicken). This easy Mexican-style dish has turkey, corn chips, refried beans, cheese & salsa!

Category: Entree - Casserole
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: turkey fiesta casserole
Servings: 5
Calories Per Serving: 747 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 2 cups coarsely crushed corn chips
  • 16 ounces refried beans (1 can)
  • 2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese , divided use
  • 1 cup salsa
  • 2 cups shredded cooked turkey (can substitute chicken)
  • 1 teaspoon taco seasoning
  • 1 green onion (scallion) , sliced (stem and bulb)
  • 1 medium tomato , chopped
  • sour cream and/or cilantro for garnish (optional)
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400° F. Spray a 2.5 quart baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

  2. Spread crushed corn chips on the bottom of the greased dish. Cook refried beans in a saucepan until smooth/heated through. If really thick, add a Tablespoon of water. Once heated through, remove pan from heat. Immediately add 1 cup of grated jack cheese and salsa. NOTE: Remember to only use 1 cup of cheese and reserve the rest for later!) Stir to combine; spoon and spread bean mixture over tortilla chips. Place the shredded turkey in a bowl, and add taco seasoning (or Mexican spice mix). Stir to combine. Distribute seasoned turkey over refried bean layer. Sprinkle reserved jack cheese over turkey, and then sprinkle with sliced green onions.

  3. Bake casserole uncovered, on the middle shelf in preheated 400° F oven. Bake for 25 minutes OR until the cheese on top is completely melted. Remove from oven. and immediately sprinkle chopped tomatoes over the top. Let the HOT casserole sit for just a couple minutes before serving. When ready to serve, garnish each portion with a dollop of sour cream and/or chopped cilantro, if desired. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Note: to lower caloric calculation per serving, try using fat free refried beans and/or low-fat cheese.

Nutrition Facts
Turkey Fiesta Casserole
Amount Per Serving (1 g)
Calories 747 Calories from Fat 261
% Daily Value*
Fat 29g45%
Saturated Fat 11g69%
Cholesterol 209mg70%
Sodium 1968mg86%
Potassium 1046mg30%
Carbohydrates 37g12%
Fiber 7g29%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 85g170%
Vitamin A 964IU19%
Vitamin C 5mg6%
Calcium 487mg49%
Iron 4mg22%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Turkey Fiesta Casserole is a great way to use up cooked turkey. This easy Mexican-style dish has turkey, corn chips, refried beans, cheese & salsa!

 


Dec
2019

Easy Chicken Rice Casserole

categories: Casseroles, Chicken, Main Dishes
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Making this easy chicken rice casserole is a cinch, with only 10 minutes prep work before baking! Rice and mushrooms cook in the same dish! YUM!
Making this easy chicken rice casserole is a cinch, with only 10 minutes prep work before baking! Rice and mushrooms cook in the same dish! YUM!

My mom is moving from Southern California to Georgia, and recently sent me some of her old cookbooks, as she was “downsizing”. I found this easy chicken rice casserole in one of her old cookbooks, and decided to give it a try.

The casserole was incredibly easy to make, and I loved that it was a one dish meal! Rice, mushrooms, and sauce are cooked in the same pan as the chicken breasts, so it really is “no fuss”! The prep time is only about 10 minutes (or less), and then you can sit back while this dish bakes! Perfect for busy nights. Here’s how to make this delicious casserole:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At the Bottom Of The Page

Prepare The Chicken Breasts

Preheat the oven to 350° F. and get out an 11 3/4″ x 7 1/2″ baking dish. This casserole is quite economical, because you only need TWO large chicken breasts and only a few other ingredients to serve 4 people.

Slice two large boneless skinless chicken breasts in half horizontally to create 4 thin breasts total. Set the chicken aside while you make the simple sauce.

Two large chicken breasts are cut in half horizontally, to create 4 thin pieces of chicken.

Make The Baking Sauce For The Casserole

Okay… this sauce is super easy to make! Mix a can of cream of chicken soup (YES- you can substitute cream of mushroom) and milk in a medium sized bowl. Whisk until fully combined. IMPORTANT: MEASURE OUT AND RESERVE 1/2 CUP OF THIS SAUCE FOR LATER!

Cream of chicken soup and milk are combined to start making the sauce.

Now mix HALF an envelope of dried onion soup mix in with the remaining soup mixture left in the bowl. Add uncooked white rice, and the mushroom pieces (including the liquid from can) into the sauce mixture. Stir until completely blended.

A packet of dried onion soup mix is used in this recipe.

Pour the sauce into an (ungreased) baking dish, and spread it out to fully cover the bottom of the dish. Lay the 4 chicken breasts on top of the sauce in a single layer. BEFORE BAKING: Pour the reserved soup/milk mixture over the top of the chicken pieces. Sprinkle the chicken with the remaining 1/2 of the dried onion soup mix left in the envelope.

Sauce for the easy chicken rice casserole is spread into a baking dish.Four pieces of chicken breast are placed on top of the sauce.

Bake The Easy Chicken Rice Casserole

Cover the easy chicken rice casserole with aluminum foil before baking. Bake the casserole in a preheated 350° F. oven for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, remove the foil from the dish. Place casserole back in the oven and continue baking (uncovered) for 15 more minutes. Carefully remove the casserole from the oven once done, and let it rest for 3-4 minutes before serving.

The chicken casserole is baked, and is now ready to serve.

Time To Serve The Easy Chicken Rice Casserole!

To serve this easy chicken rice casserole, spoon out the creamy rice from under the chicken and portion it out onto plates. Top each serving with one of the chicken breasts.

Now you have a perfectly cooked chicken breast, served atop a creamy bed of fully cooked rice in a delicious mushroom and onion sauce. Serve a veggie or salad on the side, and it’s time to eat!

Easy chicken rice casserole is served on plate, with vegetables and rolls.

I truly hope you enjoy this easy to prepare casserole! The leftovers were wonderful heated up in the microwave, too! Have a fantastic day!

Looking For More CASSEROLE Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have a nice variety of casserole recipes you might enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Recipe adapted from: “Betty Crocker’s Meatless-Main Dishes” cookbook, published 1973, by Golden Press NY and Western Publishing Co., Inc. Racine, Wisconsin, page 8.

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Easy Chicken Rice Casserole
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 15 mins
Total Time
1 hr 25 mins
 

Making this easy chicken rice casserole is a cinch, with only 10 minutes prep work before baking! Rice and mushrooms cook in the same dish! YUM!

Category: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chicken rice casserole
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 379 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts , sliced horizontally (approx. 14 ounces)
  • 10¾ ounces cream of chicken (or mushroom) soup (1 small can)
  • 10¾ ounces milk (use soup can -fill with milk)
  • ¾ cup uncooked white rice
  • 4 ounces mushroom stems and pieces (1 small can), drained
  • 1½ ounces dry onion soup mix (1 envelope) I used Lipton's, divided
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Slice chicken breasts in half horizontally to create 4 thin breasts total. Set chicken aside.

  2. Mix cream of chicken soup (YES- you can substitute cream of mushroom) and milk in a medium sized bowl. Whisk until fully combined. IMPORTANT: MEASURE OUT AND RESERVE 1/2 CUP OF THIS SOUP/MILK MIXTURE FOR LATER!

    Mix HALF an envelope of dried onion soup mix in with the remaining soup mixture in the bowl. Add the uncooked rice, and can of mushroom pieces (including liquid from can) into the sauce mixture. Stir until completely blended.

  3. Pour sauce into an (ungreased) 11¾" x 7½" baking dish, and spread to fully cover bottom of the dish. Lay chicken breasts on top of sauce in a single layer. BEFORE BAKING: Pour the reserved soup/milk mixture over the top of the chicken pieces. Sprinkle the chicken with the remaining 1/2 of the dried onion soup mix left in the envelope.

  4. Cover the casserole with aluminum foil before baking. Bake at 350° F. for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove the foil. Place casserole back in the oven and continue baking (uncovered) for 15 more minutes. Carefully remove casserole from oven when done, and let it rest for 3-4 minutes before serving. to serve, spoon out the creamy rice from under chicken and portion it onto plates. Top each serving with one of the chicken breasts. Serve, and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Easy Chicken Rice Casserole
Amount Per Serving (1 serving (chicken/rice))
Calories 379 Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value*
Fat 8g12%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 73mg24%
Sodium 1659mg72%
Potassium 672mg19%
Carbohydrates 45g15%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 29g58%
Vitamin A 318IU6%
Vitamin C 2mg2%
Calcium 139mg14%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Making this easy chicken rice casserole is a cinch, with only 10 minutes prep work before baking! Rice and mushrooms cook in the same dish! YUM!


Oct
2019

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

categories: Casseroles, Chicken, Main Dishes
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If you enjoy family-friendly comfort food, then you will love this easy chicken pot pie, filled with chicken breast and veggies in a delicious gravy!
If you enjoy family-friendly comfort food, then you will love this easy chicken pot pie, filled with chicken breast and veggies in a delicious gravy!

My husband and I have a fondness for chicken pot pies. Especially my husband. Nine times out of ten, my hubby will buy Marie Callender’s pot pies when he makes a Costco run. BUT… when I want to make a homemade chicken pot pie, THIS is the recipe I use!

Filled with chicken breast chunks, gravy, and all the standard pot pie veggies like potatoes, carrots, peas, onions and celery, this is one yummy and easy chicken pot pie! Best part is that it doesn’t require too much work to make, especially if you use store-bought pie crusts! Here’s how to make this delicious dinner!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

How To Make Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Prepare the veggies and chicken, but cutting them into bite-sized pieces (note: the potatoes are not shown in this photo).

Place the prepared celery, carrots, frozen peas, potatoes and chicken into a large saucepan. Add the chicken broth to the pan. Bring this mixture to a rolling boil, and then continue boiling for 15 minutes. Once done, drain the veggies, reserving 1¾ cups of the broth to use later!

Chicken, celery, frozen peas and sliced carrots are part of the filling for this dish.The veggies and chicken pieces cook in chicken both for 15 minutes.

Pre-Bake The Bottom Pie Crust

While the veggies and chicken are being cooked, pre-bake ONE bottom 9″ pie crust in a preheated oven (recipe requires TWO crusts). You can use already made pie crusts OR make homemade crusts like I did.

Prick the crust with the tines of a fork (on bottom and sides of crust). Bake in a preheated 425° F. oven for 5-7 minutes. Try to time this so the crust is done when the chicken pot pie filling is thickened.

Pre-baking the bottom pie crust for a few minutes.

Make The Easy Chicken Pot Pie Filling

Now it is time to make the chicken pot pie filling!  Make sure to have the cooked, drained veggies and chicken in a large saucepan.

Drained veggies and chicken in saucepan, waiting for thickened sauce.

In a separate skillet (or pan), cook the chopped onions in butter (on medium-low heat) for 3-4 minutes until they are translucent in color and cooked through. Add the flour, celery seed, salt and pepper to the skillet, and stir well, to fully combine the ingredients.

Onions are cooked, then flour and spices are added to skillet.

Now stir in the reserved chicken broth (1¾ cup) and milk. Stir or whisk these ingredients into the onion mixture. Continue to cook the creamy filling on medium-low heat, stirring or whisking often. The filling will thicken fairly quickly as it cooks.

Chicken and milk are added to the cooked onions, flour and spices.The sauce has thickened, and is ready to add to the veggies and chicken.

Once the gravy filling has thickened, pour it into the pan with the drained chicken and veggies. Stir gently, to thoroughly combine these ingredients. This is the filling for your easy chicken pot pie (and it really was easy, wasn’t it?).

Finish Making This Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Okay… now take the pie crust you pre-baked out of the oven. Turn the oven down to 375° F. Pour all of the chicken pot pie filling into the pre-baked bottom crust, and spread it out evenly on the crust.

The easy chicken pot pie filling is now ready!The chicken pot pie filling is spread into the pre-baked pie crust.

Place the second pie crust (uncooked) onto the top of the filling. Seal up the edges, and crimp the crusts together. Make a few slits in the top of the chicken pot pie with a sharp knife, because this will let the steam escape from the pie as it bakes! Nobody wants their chicken pot pie to explode, right?

Another pie crust is added to the top of the chicken pot pie and sealed before baking.

Bake The Easy Chicken Pot Pie

Place the chicken pot pie on the middle rack of the oven. Bake it at 375° F. for approximately 30 minutes. Because oven vary greatly in temperature ranges, I recommend checking it at 25 minutes, then continue baking until the pot pie is golden brown on top.

You might also see some of the filling bubbling to the top. I ended up letting mine cook for 35 minutes total. When done, remove the easy chicken pot pie from the oven, and be sure to let it “rest” for 10-12 minutes, before slicing and serving.

A peek at the inside of this easy chicken pot pie after removing a slice.

We really enjoyed this easy chicken pot pie! The leftovers were fantastic, as well! Cover the leftover pot pie with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator, and it will “keep” for 3-4 days.

The filling really sets up nicely after being refrigerated (for leftovers), which makes slicing into the filling even easier. A quick pop into the microwave oven to reheat, and the leftovers are ready for a quick lunch or another dinner!

A single serving of chicken pot pie on a white plate.

We really enjoyed this simple, but delicious chicken pot pie! I would encourage you to give it a try, and hope you and those you love, will be pleased with the results, like we were! Have a great day!

Looking For More Chicken Recipes?

You can find all of my recipes for chicken in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page (there are a lot of them!). A few favorites include:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Original recipe source: https://www.iheartnaptime.net/chicken-pot-pie/

0 from 0 votes
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Easy Chicken Pot Pie
Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
55 mins
 

If you enjoy family-friendly comfort food, then you will love this easy chicken pot pie, filled with chicken breast and veggies in a delicious gravy!

Category: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: easy chicken pot pie
Servings: 8 slices
Calories Per Serving: 444 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts , cut into bite-sized cubes
  • 1 large potato , peeled and cubed
  • 1 cup sliced carrots
  • ½ cup sliced celery
  • ½ cup frozen green peas
  • ⅓ cup butter
  • ⅓ cup chopped onion
  • ⅓ cup all purpose flour
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon celery seed
  • 32 ounces chicken stock (or broth) , for boiling - (reserving 1¾ cup for filling)
  • ⅔ cup milk
  • 2 9" unbaked pie crusts (purchased or homemade)
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Prepare the veggies and chicken. Place the cut, sliced celery, carrots, peas, potatoes and chicken into a large saucepan. Add chicken broth to the pan. Bring this mixture to a rolling boil, and then continue boiling for 15 minutes. Once done, drain the veggies, reserving 1¾ cups of broth to use later!

  2. While veggies and chicken are being cooked, pre-bake the bottom 9" pie crust in a preheated oven (recipe requires TWO crusts). You can use already made pie crusts OR make your own. Prick the crust with the tines of a fork (on bottom and sides of crust). Bake in a preheated 425° F. oven for 5-7 minutes.

  3. In a skillet, cook chopped onions in butter (on medium-low heat) for 3-4 minutes until translucent in color and cooked through. Add flour, celery seed, salt and pepper to skillet, and stir well, to combine ingredients. Stir or whisk in reserved chicken broth (1¾ cup) and milk. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring or whisking as it cooks. The filling will thicken fairly quickly. Once filling has thickened, pour it into the pan with the drained chicken and veggies. Stir gently, to thoroughly combine these ingredients. Take the pre-baked pie crust out of the oven. Turn oven down to 375° F. Pour pot pie filling into pre-baked bottom crust, and spread it out evenly. Place other pie crust (uncooked) on top of the filling. Seal up edges, form crust, and crimp the crusts together. Make a few slits in the top of the pie with a knife, because this lets the steam escape as it bakes!

  4. Place pot pie on the middle rack of the oven. Bake at 375° F. for approximately 30 minutes (mine ended up taking 35 minutes). Because oven temps vary greatly, I recommend checking it at 25 minutes, then continue baking until pie crust is golden brown on top. When done, remove chicken pot pie from the oven, and let it "rest" for 10-12 minutes, before slicing and serving. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Easy Chicken Pot Pie
Amount Per Serving (1 slice (1/8th of pie))
Calories 444 Calories from Fat 198
% Daily Value*
Fat 22g34%
Saturated Fat 9g56%
Cholesterol 62mg21%
Sodium 718mg31%
Potassium 692mg20%
Carbohydrates 39g13%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 21g42%
Vitamin A 3057IU61%
Vitamin C 11mg13%
Calcium 65mg7%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!If you enjoy family-friendly comfort food, then you will love this easy chicken pot pie, filled with chicken breast and veggies in a delicious gravy!


Jan
2019

Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole

categories: Casseroles, Chicken, Main Dishes, Mexican / Southwestern
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You’ll love this easy to make Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole, with rigatoni noodles, chicken, corn, black beans, and cheese, baked in a Southwestern flavored sauce!
You'll love this easy Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole, with rigatoni, chicken, corn, black beans, and cheese, baked in a Southwestern flavored sauce!

Can I get a shout out for the humble, yet delicious casserole dishes that have made mealtimes easier for home cooks everywhere? This Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole is a perfectly simple but absolutely lip-smackin’ delicious casserole that will leave you smiling!

I found the original recipe on Pinterest, and loved that you can use pre-cooked (think rotisserie or leftover) chicken. By using pre-cooked chicken, and canned corn and black beans, you’ve already saved yourself some time!

Making this fiesta chicken pasta casserole recipe is as simple as cooking pasta, whisking together a simple Southwestern flavored sauce, stirring in the rest of the ingredients, then baking it! The recipe is really quite simple. Let me show you how to make this yummy meal!

Scroll Down for A Printable Recipe Card At The bottom Of The Page

How To Make Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole

The first thing you will need to do is spray a 13×9 inch baking dish with non-stick spray, then set the dish aside.  Preheat your oven to 350°F. Cook the rigatoni pasta in 4 quarts of lightly salted water. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

NOTE: No rigatoni? No problem! You can easily substitute rotini (spiral) pasta or penne pasta in this dish!

Cooking rigatoni for the fiesta chicken pasta casserole.

While the pasta noodles are cooking, mix together salsa, light sour cream, garlic powder, ground cumin, and onion powder in a medium sized bowl.

Mixing together the Southwestern sauce used in the fiesta chicken pasta casserole.

Building The Casserole

When the pasta is done cooking, drain it well, and pour it into a large mixing bowl.  Add the sauce to the pasta in the bowl, and give it a good stir to mix it together. Once the sauce and pasta are combined, add the drained corn, black beans, cooked chicken (shredded or cubed), and ONE CUP of grated cheddar cheese.

Reserve the remaining cup of grated cheddar cheese to use later. Gently stir the fiesta chicken pasta casserole together, until all ingredients are coated with sauce and are thoroughly combined.

Sauce, corn, black beans, cheese and chicken is added to the fiesta chicken pasta casserole.

Time To Bake The Casserole

Pour the fiesta chicken pasta casserole ingredients evenly into the baking dish, and spread out, to cover. Evenly distribute the remaining cup of grated cheddar cheese across the top of the casserole. 

Cover the pan with aluminum foil, and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 25 minutes. About 10 minutes before the cooking time is done, remove the foil and finish cooking the fiesta chicken pasta casserole.

Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole is covered with grated cheese, then baked.

Once the casserole is finished cooking, remove it from the oven. The cheese will be melted, and the casserole will be slightly bubbly around the edges.

Fiesta chicken pasta casserole, right out of the oven, after baking.

To Serve Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole

Garnish the fiesta chicken pasta casserole with some sliced green onions (or chives, as shown), and chopped tomatoes. If desired, you can also add avocado slices for flavor and color. The casserole is now ready to serve! The recipe serves 8 (modest portions), or 6, if serving larger portions!

The baked fiesta chicken pasta casserole is garnished with tomatoes and chives before serving.

The only thing left to do is dig into this absolutely delicious fiesta chicken pasta casserole! It has WONDERFUL flavor, and is not too spicy… trust me! The black beans add additional protein, and together with the corn, help to make this a well-rounded, nice and filling meal! It is SO GOOD!

An individual portion of fiesta chicken pasta casserole is served in a white bowl.

I really hope you will consider trying this fiesta chicken pasta casserole. My husband and I LOVED it! Guess what? The leftovers tasted fantastic, too! I really think you will love this easy to make recipe, too! Have a wonderful day!

Looking For More CASSEROLE Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. I have a nice variety of casserole recipes you’ll enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe! 

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Original Recipe Source: https://togetherasfamily.com/fiesta-chicken-casserole/

5 from 1 vote
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Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
40 mins
 
You'll love this easy to make Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole, with rigatoni noodles, chicken, corn, black beans, and cheese, baked in a Southwestern flavored sauce!
Category: Entree - Casserole
Cuisine: Southwestern
Keyword: fiesta chicken pasta casserole
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 385 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 2¼ cups uncooked rigatoni pasta (can substitute spiral or penne pasta
  • 1 cup salsa
  • 1 cup light sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 15 ounces whole kernel corn (1 can) , drained
  • 15 ounces black beans (1 can) , drained and rinsed
  • 2 cups cooked chicken breasts , shredded or cubed
  • 2 cups grated cheddar cheese , divided
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray, then set aside. Preheat your oven to 350°F.

  2. Cook pasta in 4 quarts of lightly salted water. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

  3. While the pasta is cooking, mix together salsa, light sour cream, garlic powder, ground cumin, and onion powder in a medium sized bowl.

  4. When pasta is done, drain, and pour it into a large mixing bowl.  Add the sauce; stir to combine. Add drained corn, black beans, cooked chicken (shredded or cubed), and ONE CUP of the grated cheddar cheese. Reserve remaining cup of grated cheddar cheese to use later. Gently stir, until all ingredients are coated with sauce and are thoroughly combined. Pour into the baking dish, spreading to cover. Sprinkle remaining cup of grated cheddar cheese across the top of the casserole.  Cover dish with aluminum foil, and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 25 minutes. About 10 minutes before the cooking time is done, remove the foil and finish cooking.

  5. Remove finished casserole from oven. Garnish with sliced green onions (or chives), and chopped tomatoes. If desired, you can also add avocado slices. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Caloric calculation was calculated based on using light sour cream. Regular sour cream will work perfectly, but will increase calorie count for each portion.

Nutrition Facts
Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole
Amount Per Serving (1 (1/8 of total))
Calories 385 Calories from Fat 126
% Daily Value*
Fat 14g22%
Saturated Fat 8g50%
Cholesterol 69mg23%
Sodium 657mg29%
Potassium 597mg17%
Carbohydrates 37g12%
Fiber 6g25%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 26g52%
Vitamin A 680IU14%
Vitamin C 5.2mg6%
Calcium 285mg29%
Iron 2.3mg13%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!You'll love this easy Fiesta Chicken Pasta Casserole, with rigatoni, chicken breast, corn, black beans, and cheese, baked in a Southwestern flavored sauce!


Jun
2018

Chicken Enchilada Mole Casserole

categories: Casseroles, Chicken, Main Dishes, Mexican / Southwestern
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Chicken Enchilada Mole Casserole is an easy to make dinner, with layers of corn tortillas, chicken breast strips, enchilada and mole sauce, onions and cheese, and is ready in 35 minutes!Chicken Enchilada Mole Casserole is an easy to make dinner, with layers of corn tortillas, chicken breast strips, enchilada and mole sauce, onions and cheese, and is ready in 35 minutes!

Ever have one of those days where you know you need to fix something for dinner, but don’t have a clue what that will be?  That is how I came up with this simple layered chicken enchilada casserole! I used my recipe for Layered Chicken Enchilada Casserole as inspiration (which uses a creamy green sauce). Then I started pulling things out of the refrigerator and pantry and then just started cooking!

I gathered two leftover grilled chicken breasts, some homemade red enchilada sauce (it was in our freezer, but I thawed it out!), a jar of mole sauce (check out this link to find out what is in this traditional Mexican sauce), onion, a few tortillas and some Mexican blend cheese and got busy creating this easy casserole dish that serves 6.

By the way… don’t worry about using homemade enchilada sauce… a large (28 oz.) can will do just fine… and mole sauce? You can pretty much find small 8.25 oz. jars of it in almost every grocery store in the Mexican Foods section. Mole sauce adds a rich depth of flavor to standard enchilada sauce and partners very well in this recipe.

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

So… How Do I Make This Chicken Enchilada Casserole?

It’s easy. You will just be creating a layer of ingredients, then repeating the layers, etc.  Start by thinly slicing two grilled chicken breasts (I used leftovers). A quick and easy substitution would be to use two rotisserie chicken breasts, lightly seasoned with salt and pepper.

Slicing chicken breast for enchilada casserole

Mix enchilada sauce and mole sauce in pan. Stir until blended, then cook on low heat for 5 minutes. This allows the flavors to come together a bit! (Note: I used homemade enchilada sauce, so your version may look slightly different)

Cooking enchilada and mole sauces for casserole

Spray an 8×8 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray. Rip two tortillas into large pieces and layer the bottom of the dish, trying to cover as much as possible.

Torn tortillas are layered into casserole dish

Spread 1/3 of the sauce over the tortilla pieces, spreading to cover.

Enchilada/mole sauce is spread over tortillas

Cover the sauce with 1/2 of the chicken slices, 1/2 of the chopped onions and top them with 1/3 of the grated Mexican cheese blend.

Chicken, onions and cheese layered onto enchilada casserole

Repeat Layers

Repeat another layer in the same order:  2 torn tortillas, 1/3 of the sauce, remaining 1/2 of the chicken and onions, then top this second layer with 1/3 of the grated Mexican blend cheese. For the final layer, simply add the remaining two torn tortilla pieces, top with remaining sauce, then top it all off with the remaining grated cheese.

Chicken enchilada mole casserole is ready to bake

Time To Bake The Chicken Enchilada Mole Casserole

Bake the casserole (uncovered) in a 350° F. preheated oven for 20-25 minutes (mine was done in 20). The cheese and sauce should be bubbly when done. Remove chicken enchilada casserole from oven to a wire rack.

Chicken enchilada casserole, hot from the oven

Let the casserole rest for a  minute or two to let the cheese firm up, so it will be easier to slice.

Melted cheese on top of chicken enchilada casserole

Slice the casserole into 6 pieces, and transfer to plates. Serve each piece with a dollop of sour cream and a cilantro leaf garnish, if desired.

Chicken Enchilada Mole Casserole on a plate, with sour cream and cilantro garnish

And that’s how this casserole came to be made and eaten at our house!  Hope you will give it a try! Since this yummy casserole can be on the table in about 35 minutes, it’s a great meal for busy weeknights!

Looking For More Mexican-Inspired Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have quite a few Mexican-inspired recipes you might enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

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Chicken Enchilada Mole Casserole
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
35 mins
 
Chicken Enchilada Mole Casserole is an easy to make dinner, with layers of corn tortillas, chicken breast strips, enchilada and mole sauce, onions and cheese, and is ready in 35 minutes!
Category: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: chicken enchilada mole casserole
Servings: 6 servings
Calories Per Serving: 499 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 6 corn tortillas
  • 28 ounces Red enchilada sauce
  • 1/2 cup Mole sauce (found in Mexican food sections of grocery store)
  • 2 chicken breasts (cooked)
  • 1/2 cup white onion , finely chopped
  • 2 cups Mexican 4 blend cheese (or combo of cheddar/jack)
  • 4 Tablespoons sour cream
  • 4 cilantro leaves (optional)
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350° F.

  2. Thinly slice two grilled chicken breasts for the casserole. A quick and easy substitution would be to use two rotisserie chicken breasts, lightly seasoned with salt and pepper.
  3. Mix enchilada sauce and mole sauce in pan. Stir until blended, then cook on low heat for 5 minutes.

  4. Spray an 8x8 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Rip two tortillas into large pieces and layer the bottom of the dish, trying to cover as much as possible. Spread 1/3 of sauce over the tortilla pieces. Cover sauce with 1/2 of the chicken, 1/2 of the onions and top them with 1/3 of the grated Mexican cheese blend. Repeat another layer in the same order:  2 torn tortillas, 1/3 of the sauce, remaining 1/2 of the chicken and onions, then top this second layer with 1/3 of the grated Mexican blend cheese. For the final layer, add remaining two torn tortilla pieces, cover with remaining sauce, then top it all off with the remaining grated cheese.

  5. Bake the casserole (uncovered) in a 350° F. preheated oven for 20-25 minutes (mine was done in 20). The cheese and sauce should be bubbly when done. Remove chicken enchilada casserole from oven to a wire rack. Let the casserole rest for a  minute or two to let the cheese firm up, so it will be easier to slice.

  6. Slice the casserole into 6 pieces, and transfer to plates. Serve each piece with a dollop of sour cream and a cilantro leaf garnish, if desired. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Chicken Enchilada Mole Casserole
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 499 Calories from Fat 144
% Daily Value*
Fat 16g25%
Saturated Fat 9g56%
Cholesterol 68mg23%
Sodium 1474mg64%
Potassium 274mg8%
Carbohydrates 24g8%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 9g10%
Protein 22g44%
Vitamin A 1445IU29%
Vitamin C 3.8mg5%
Calcium 336mg34%
Iron 1.6mg9%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Chicken Enchilada Mole Casserole is an easy to make dinner, with layers of corn tortillas, chicken breast strips, enchilada and mole sauce, onions and cheese, and is ready in 35 minutes!


May
2018

Easy Chile Relleno Casserole

categories: Casseroles, Main Dishes, Meatless Meals, Mexican / Southwestern
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This easy chile relleno casserole (vegetarian) has all the wonderful Southwest flavors of the traditional dish, but is baked not fried, and it’s DELICIOUS!
This scrumptious chile relleno casserole is easy to make, is vegetarian, and has all the Southwest flavors of the traditional dish, but is baked, not fried!

I received this wonderful, meatless chile relleno casserole recipe over 20 years ago from my friend Lanita, who I sang with in a church choir.  She’s an amazing, strong woman, and I love her dearly! I’ve made her recipe for this dish several times over the years, but hadn’t made in quite a while.

So, I decided to make it once again, tweaked her original recipe ever so slightly, made it, devoured it, and am sharing how you can make it, too! Now I’ve made it countless times, and we love it!

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At the Bottom Of The Page

The Origins of Chile Rellenos

Did you know that the words “chile relleno” actually mean “stuffed chile” in Spanish?  This popular dish had its origins in Puebla, Mexico, and showed up in recipe form over 150 years ago.  If you enjoy Tex-Mex food or enjoy eating chile rellenos at your favorite Mexican food spot, I’m confident you will enjoy this twist on the original in this delicious layered casserole.

This easy to prepare dish has lots of mild flavor from whole green chiles and gooey melted cheese, and all the taste commonly found in the original dish, but guess what? It is BAKED, not FRIED, so there’s much less prep work (and calories), and it’s in casserole form! Did I mention how simple it is to prepare?

So How Do I Make This Casserole?

Start by spraying a 9×9 inch baking dish (bottom and sides) with non-stick spray. Slice whole canned green chiles open; rinse out any seeds, then drain. Using HALF of the chiles, place a first layer of chiles (spread open) on the bottom of an 9×9 inch baking dish.

Slicing and cleaning whole green chiles for casserole

Whole green chiles on bottom of glass baking dish

Sprinkle the chiles with HALF of the grated jack and cheddar cheeses, then add another layer of the remaining green chiles on top of the cheese.

Layers of green chiles and grated cheese for relleno casserole

Top with the remaining jack and cheddar cheeses.

Grated jack and cheddar cheese on top of green chiles in glass baking dish

In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, flour, milk and salt until fully blended.  Pour this mixture over the casserole, distributing evenly.

Mixing flour, milk and salt for casserole

Pouring milk/flour mixture over chile relleno casserole before baking

Time To Bake The Easy Chili Relleno Casserole

This is what the casserole looks like when it is ready to bake.  Bake the casserole at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes (uncovered), until it’s golden brown on top. I baked mine for a total of 35 minutes.

Casserole with green chiles and cheese is ready to go into oven

When done, the casserole should be golden brown in color on top.  Remove dish from oven and transfer to a wire rack. Let it cool and firm up for a few minutes, then slice the casserole with a sharp knife into 6 equal sized pieces, serve and enjoy!  See how simple it is to prepare?

Easy chile relleno casserole, hot out of the oven!

I took a photo after dinner so you could see what the INSIDE of the casserole looks like (after hungry humans had their fill).  See those chiles peeking out from under the cheese? Ooh- I’m telling you, this is one great tasting MEATLESS casserole! Truth is… it’s not only good for lunch or dinner… it’s even good for breakfast… yep!

A close up look at the inside of chili relleno casserole after baking

I hope you enjoy this recipe.  I have a similar recipe for a layered casserole on this blog that uses tortillas, green chiles and chicken, if you are interested in looking at that one. It’s called Layered Chicken Enchilada Casserole, and it also tastes fantastic.

Looking For More Southwestern-Style Recipes?

You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have some delicious Southwest/Mexican-style recipes you might enjoy, including:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe! 

There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Hope to have you visit again soon. Have a GREAT day!

Author's signature

Recipe Adapted From: My sweet friend, Lanita Moen

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Easy Chile Relleno Casserole
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
Total Time
45 mins
 

This scrumptious chile relleno casserole is easy to make, is vegetarian, and has all the Southwest flavors of the traditional dish, but it is is baked, not fried!

Category: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican, Southwestern
Keyword: chile, relleno
Servings: 6 servings
Calories Per Serving: 385 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 14 ounces whole green chiles , canned (2 -7 ounce cans)
  • 3/4 pound jack cheese , grated
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese , grated
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1½ cups milk
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Spray a 9x9 inch baking dish with non-stick spray. Slice whole canned green chiles wide open; rinse out any seeds, then drain. Arrange half of the chiles  in the bottom of the dish.

  2. Sprinkle chiles with HALF of the grated jack and cheddar cheeses.  Add remaining green chiles in another layer on top of the cheese. Top with remaining jack and cheddar cheeses.

  3. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, flour, milk and salt until fully blended.  Pour this mixture over the casserole, distributing evenly.

  4. Bake casserole (uncovered) at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown on top.  Remove dish from oven and transfer to a wire rack.  Let it cool and firm up for a few minutes, then slice casserole with sharp knife into 6 equal sized pieces, serve (a spatula works great) and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Easy Chile Relleno Casserole
Amount Per Serving (1 serving)
Calories 385 Calories from Fat 225
% Daily Value*
Fat 25g38%
Saturated Fat 15g94%
Cholesterol 127mg42%
Sodium 1118mg49%
Potassium 259mg7%
Carbohydrates 14g5%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 23g46%
Vitamin A 905IU18%
Vitamin C 22.6mg27%
Calcium 665mg67%
Iron 2.2mg12%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!

This scrumptious chile relleno casserole is easy to make, is vegetarian, and has all the Southwest flavors of the traditional dish, but is baked, not fried!


Apr
2018

Tortellini Marinara and Zucchini Bake

categories: Casseroles, Italian, Main Dishes, Meatless Meals, Pasta
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Enjoy Tortellini Marinara Zucchini Bake (Wt. Watchers), a meatless casserole, with cheese tortellini, sauce, zucchini, spinach, & mozzarella!
Enjoy Tortellini Marinara Zucchini Bake (Wt. Watchers), a meatless casserole, with cheese tortellini, sauce, zucchini, spinach, & mozzarella!

You’re gonna enjoy this Italian, layered, vegetarian baked casserole, with cheese tortellini, marinara sauce, zucchini, onions and baby spinach, topped with mozzarella cheese! It’s a flavorful, meatless (you won’t miss it), lightened up dinner, (under 400 calories), for the win!

I found this recipe last Fall on the Weight Watchers website, thought it sounded good, and decided to give it a try.  I tweaked the recipe a bit, to serve 4 instead of 8, added a couple ingredients and changed the cooking method. The casserole is baked, but if you prefer, instructions for using a slow cooker (and frozen tortellini) are available below, in the printable recipe notes.

We enjoyed our meal very much (lots of Italian flavor in the marinara sauce, cheese tortellini, and yummy fresh veggies in this meal!), and wanted to share the recipe with you. Here’s how to make this dish:

Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page

Cook the Veggies

Diced fresh zucchini and chopped onions are cooked in olive oil on medium high heat for about 5 minutes (the veggies will be very lightly browned).  Minced garlic is added to the skillet, stirred in, and cooked for another minute.

Zucchini, onion and garlic cooked for tortellini sauce

Add fresh baby spinach leaves, 1 cup of marinara sauce, and seasonings to the skillet. Stir well.  The spinach can be added in small batches. It looks like a LOT of spinach going in the skillet, but it will definitely wilt down!

Cove the skillet and simmer the veggies for 2-3 minutes, until the spinach has fully wilted.  At this point, you can add additional salt and pepper, if you wish, to suit your taste.

Fresh spinach is added to zucchini marinara sauce to wilt down

Assemble The Tortellini Marinara Zucchini Bake

I use a 2 quart casserole dish for the casserole (for 4 servings).  To assemble this meal, build it in layers.  Spoon 1/2 cup of marinara sauce over bottom of dish.  Add HALF of the cooked cheese tortellini to cover the sauce (photo shows only half of the sauce covered). Top the tortellini with HALF of the veggie mixture.

Layer of tortellini added to baking dish, then zucchini and spinach sauce.Add the rest of the tortellini to top of the veggies.  Top with the rest of the veggie mixture. For the final layer, pour 1/2 cup of reserved marinara sauce over top of veggies, then sprinkle with grated mozzarella  and Parmesan cheese.

Tortellini with marinara, veggies, and grated cheese on top, ready to bake

Bake The Casserole

Cover the dish loosely with aluminum foil (try not to let the foil touch the top of the cheese, if possible).  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes, then remove foil and bake for 10 more minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Remove casserole from oven. Here’s what the casserole looked like when ready to serve. Looks pretty good, huh? Smells good, too!

Tortellini, marinara, and zucchini baked casserole out of oven

Time To EAT!

All that’s left to do is grab a big spoon or spatula, and serve this delicious pasta dish up, while hot!

Tortellini and zucchini baked casserole in white serving bowl

Cheese tortellini, marinara sauce and zucchini, in white serving bowl.

Hope you will consider trying this tasty, filling Italian pasta and vegetable dish (don’t think you’ll even miss not having meat in it).  Have a wonderful day. Thank you for stopping by, and I hope you will come back soon.

Looking For More TORTELLINI Recipes?

You can find ALL my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have some delicious pasta recipes there, including these using tortellini:

Interested In More Recipes?

Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so.  If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.

You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:

Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks

Author's signature

Recipe Adapted From: https://cmx.weightwatchers.com/nui/explore/details2/WWRECIPE:59ce95dd03c03049fd3f55db

↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓

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Tortellini Marinara and Zucchini Bake
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Total Time
50 mins
 
Enjoy this Weight Watchers Italian (vegetarian) casserole, with cheese tortellini, marinara sauce, zucchini, and baby spinach, topped with mozzarella cheese!
Category: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: tortellini
Servings: 4 servings
Calories Per Serving: 385 kcal
Author: JB @ The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Ingredients
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil (extra virgin)
  • 3 zucchini (uncooked, small)
  • 1/2 onion (chopped)
  • 1½ teaspoons minced garlic
  • 2 cups marinara sauce , divided (store bought)
  • 4 cups fresh baby spinach
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 3 cups cheese tortellini (without sauce-cooked and drained)
  • 1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese , shredded
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (+ additional for garnish, if desired)
US Customary - Metric
Instructions

  1. Cook tortellini according to package instructions. Once cooked, drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside. TIP: I found it easy (and a timesaver) to cook the tortellini at the same time the zucchini/sauce mixture was cooking.

  2. Heat olive oil in large skillet on medium high heat.  Add diced zucchini and chopped onions, stir often, and cook on medium high heat for about 5 minutes (the veggies will be very lightly browned).  Add the minced garlic to the skillet, stir to combine, and cook for another minute (be careful to stir and not let the garlic burn, or it will taste bitter).

  3. Add baby spinach leaves, 1 cup (reserve the rest) of marinara sauce, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to the skillet. Stir well, to combine. TIP: The spinach can be added in small batches... it looks like a LOT of spinach going in the skillet, but it will definitely wilt down!  Once it has wilted, add more to skillet. Once all spinach has been added, cover the skillet, and simmer on low heat for 2-3 minutes, until the spinach has fully wilted.  At this point, additional salt and pepper can be added, to suit your taste.

  4. Layer the casserole this way:  Spoon 1/2 cup of the reserved marinara sauce over bottom of dish.  Add HALF of the cooked/drained tortellini on top of the sauce. Cover the tortellini with HALF of the veggie/sauce mixture. Cover that with the rest of the tortellini.  Cover that with the rest of the veggie mixture. Pour remaining 1/2 cup of marinara sauce over top of veggies, then sprinkle with grated mozzarella  and Parmesan cheese.

  5. Cover the dish loosely with aluminum foil (try not to let the foil touch the top of the cheese, if possible).  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes, then remove foil and bake for 10 more minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.  Remove casserole from oven. Serve, and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

TIP: If desired, recipe can be made using FROZEN tortellini (packaged without sauce) in a SLOW COOKER, following same process as detailed above (except for pre-cooking the tortellini). Tortellini can be layered in while still frozen. Casserole should be cooked on LOW (covered) until tortellini are tender and fully heated through, (approximately 5 hours). I have not personally tried this, but Weight Watchers recipe utilized this cooking method.

Nutrition Facts
Tortellini Marinara and Zucchini Bake
Amount Per Serving (1 serving (1½ cups))
Calories 385 Calories from Fat 108
% Daily Value*
Fat 12g18%
Saturated Fat 4g25%
Cholesterol 43mg14%
Sodium 1357mg59%
Potassium 988mg28%
Carbohydrates 49g16%
Fiber 7g29%
Sugar 12g13%
Protein 22g44%
Vitamin A 3790IU76%
Vitamin C 44.7mg54%
Calcium 368mg37%
Iron 4.7mg26%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!Enjoy Tortellini Marinara Zucchini Bake (Wt. Watchers), a meatless casserole, with cheese tortellini, sauce, zucchini, spinach, & mozzarella!